"The Other Swedes"
Honoring Them and Remembering Them
~ The Lindsborg Swedes, Their Neighbors & Friends
Dr. Johan August Udden
~ Remembering "First" Bethany College professor, founder of the Museum and Spanish Chain Mail,
led UT to over $300,000,000
~ An account by Dr. Leon Lundstrom
Honoring Them and Remembering Them
~ The Lindsborg Swedes, Their Neighbors & Friends
Dr. Johan August Udden
~ Remembering "First" Bethany College professor, founder of the Museum and Spanish Chain Mail,
led UT to over $300,000,000
~ An account by Dr. Leon Lundstrom
Dr. Johan August Udden
(1859-1932)
First Professor
1881-1888
He was a Swedish Augustana Lutheran Christian
1919/1969 "The Smoky Valley in the After Years" Plate I
"prophet of geological accomplishments"
Dr. Johan August Udden was born in Lekasa, Västergötland, Sweden, in 1859. He would die in Texas in 1932, and what he accomplished during his lifetime was very noteworthy. Early in his life, Lindsborg was his home, and he was Bethany College's, the Bethany Academy's, then, first Swedish teacher in 1881. Here he was to found the Bethany College Museum in 1882 and the Linnean Association in 1884, named after Carl von Linnaeus [1707-1778], the famous Swedish botanist. He was to become a self-taught geologist and gifted scientist who would lay a firm and visionary foundation for a science department. His career as a geologist in academia would lead him back to his alma mater Augustana College in 1888 to teach when he was honored by the Swedish Crown in 1911 before moving on to Texas University where his discovery of potash in the Permian Basin of Texas led to finding oil on the university lands in West Texas, this first find of which yielded more than $300 million for the University!
Here is the account on this most accomplished man, a "prophet of geological accomplishments," Bethany College's first teacher/professor by Bethany College Biology Professor Dr. Leon Lungstrom found on pages 59-67 in his 1990 book History of Natural Science and Mathematics at Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas.
Dr. Johan August Udden
1859-1932
by
Dr. Leon Lungstrom
1859-1932
by
Dr. Leon Lungstrom
"Great indeed were his accomplishments as a scientist, and greater still were his outstanding characteristics as a man and friend. His sturdy individuality and independence of thought were accompanied by a profound respect for the opinion of others. He was patient, understanding, and willing to listen to those who came to him for help. The world was enriched materially, intellectually and spiritually by his life. He was the first instructor in the Bethany Academy, which had expanded into Bethany College before his departure in the summer of 1888 to join Augustana College as a faculty member. From 1888 to 1911 he was professor of natural science and geology. Twenty-one (21) years of his life were given in the service of the state of Texas (1911 to 1932).
"He was born in Lekåsa, parish Västergötland, Sweden, on March 19, 1859, the son of Andreas and Inga Lena (Andersdotter) Larson. His parents had four children. Johan August, like the other three, was born in the family home, named Uddabo.
"In 1861 Johan's parents caught the "American fever" prevalent in Sweden at that time and during the summer of that year, the family boarded the Minoa, a crowded sailing ship at Gothenburg. The voyage to New York took eight weeks.
"By the middle of September 1861, the family had already traveled to Minnesota to stay with friends until Andreas could timber a claim shanty. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in Company K, 5th Minnesota Infantry, and advanced to the rank of sergeant. While in service, he had a tent partner who taught him to read and write English. His health was somewhat impaired while serving in the trenches in Alabama. On his return from the war, he bought 80 acres of virgin land which was the south half of the southeast quarter of Section 5 in San Francisco Township, Carver County, Minnesota. This is where Johan August spent his childhood and early youth. At his homestead, Larson was able to help his children with their lessons. He was a kind family man with a gentle and generous disposition. He had debilitating health problems since he left the service. He contracted pneumonia and died on March 19, 1869, at the age of 42.
"Inga Lena Larson, now a widow at the age of 42, and with seven children to care for, continue to work on the farm. Svante, the oldest son, was ill and remained bedridden for about three years after his father's death. Johan, who was now 10 years old, became the chief farm hand of the family and, with the help of his mother, plowed, harrowed, cut the crops, stacked, built fences and dug ditches. These two people, Johan and his mother, possessed tremendous endurance both physically and mentally. Mrs. Larson was a woman of quick temperament and very positive convictions. She had a somewhat domineering disposition. She made heroic sacrifices for the education of her children.
"Carver County, Minnesota, had many Swedish families with similar names, and for this reason the family's Lutheran pastor suggested that Svante and Johan should take the name Udd from Uddabo, their birthplace, in order to avoid confusion. The boys changed their names as suggested and did not have problems with the name until classmates teased them about the short unusual name. To correct this difficulty, the two brothers added a suffix "en"to form the name "Udden." This added dignity, which was thought to be important, especially to a girl name Johanna Kristina Davis, who attended the St. Ansgar Academy with Johan. She later married him. The Academy was housed in a building about 20 by 20 feet which supposedly still stands between the towns of East Union and West Union, Carver County Minnesota. However, the academy was later moved to Saint Peter, Minnesota, and renamed the Gustavus Adolphus Academy. [This would eventually become an Augustana Lutheran Synod sister college to Bethany and Augustana colleges.]
"Svante and Johan August studied at the academy from 1873 to 1876, and during this period Mrs. Larson did most of the manual labor on the farm. Her two daughters were old enough to help somewhat, but the three youngest boys had died by the spring of 1876.
"In the fall of that year the two older brothers entered Augustana College at Rock Island, Illinois. Svante studied theology and Johann August took the classical course which included courses in physics, botany, geology and astronomy. All such subjects were grouped together in one department under Henry Reck, professor of Natural and Mental Philosophy. However, Johan August, was fortunate to come under the influence of Joshua Lindahl, who established the new Natural Science Department in 1878. It is interesting to note that no formal course in geology was offered at Augustana College until 1883, two years after Johan August Udden's graduation. Augustana College conferred its first bachelor's degree in 1877, and Udden was the third science graduate from the school in 1881.
"A week after graduation Udden came to Lindsborg as a delegate to the Augustana Synod meeting from West Union, Minnesota. About two weeks after the synodical meeting the summer school for teachers opened in McPherson and Udden enrolled as a student with the hope of getting a winter teaching position. Before the four weeks of school were over, he received offers to take charge of the parochial school west of Lindsborg, to start a high school, the Bethany Academy, and to teach in the Kentuck Creek District.
"He was born in Lekåsa, parish Västergötland, Sweden, on March 19, 1859, the son of Andreas and Inga Lena (Andersdotter) Larson. His parents had four children. Johan August, like the other three, was born in the family home, named Uddabo.
"In 1861 Johan's parents caught the "American fever" prevalent in Sweden at that time and during the summer of that year, the family boarded the Minoa, a crowded sailing ship at Gothenburg. The voyage to New York took eight weeks.
"By the middle of September 1861, the family had already traveled to Minnesota to stay with friends until Andreas could timber a claim shanty. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in Company K, 5th Minnesota Infantry, and advanced to the rank of sergeant. While in service, he had a tent partner who taught him to read and write English. His health was somewhat impaired while serving in the trenches in Alabama. On his return from the war, he bought 80 acres of virgin land which was the south half of the southeast quarter of Section 5 in San Francisco Township, Carver County, Minnesota. This is where Johan August spent his childhood and early youth. At his homestead, Larson was able to help his children with their lessons. He was a kind family man with a gentle and generous disposition. He had debilitating health problems since he left the service. He contracted pneumonia and died on March 19, 1869, at the age of 42.
"Inga Lena Larson, now a widow at the age of 42, and with seven children to care for, continue to work on the farm. Svante, the oldest son, was ill and remained bedridden for about three years after his father's death. Johan, who was now 10 years old, became the chief farm hand of the family and, with the help of his mother, plowed, harrowed, cut the crops, stacked, built fences and dug ditches. These two people, Johan and his mother, possessed tremendous endurance both physically and mentally. Mrs. Larson was a woman of quick temperament and very positive convictions. She had a somewhat domineering disposition. She made heroic sacrifices for the education of her children.
"Carver County, Minnesota, had many Swedish families with similar names, and for this reason the family's Lutheran pastor suggested that Svante and Johan should take the name Udd from Uddabo, their birthplace, in order to avoid confusion. The boys changed their names as suggested and did not have problems with the name until classmates teased them about the short unusual name. To correct this difficulty, the two brothers added a suffix "en"to form the name "Udden." This added dignity, which was thought to be important, especially to a girl name Johanna Kristina Davis, who attended the St. Ansgar Academy with Johan. She later married him. The Academy was housed in a building about 20 by 20 feet which supposedly still stands between the towns of East Union and West Union, Carver County Minnesota. However, the academy was later moved to Saint Peter, Minnesota, and renamed the Gustavus Adolphus Academy. [This would eventually become an Augustana Lutheran Synod sister college to Bethany and Augustana colleges.]
"Svante and Johan August studied at the academy from 1873 to 1876, and during this period Mrs. Larson did most of the manual labor on the farm. Her two daughters were old enough to help somewhat, but the three youngest boys had died by the spring of 1876.
"In the fall of that year the two older brothers entered Augustana College at Rock Island, Illinois. Svante studied theology and Johann August took the classical course which included courses in physics, botany, geology and astronomy. All such subjects were grouped together in one department under Henry Reck, professor of Natural and Mental Philosophy. However, Johan August, was fortunate to come under the influence of Joshua Lindahl, who established the new Natural Science Department in 1878. It is interesting to note that no formal course in geology was offered at Augustana College until 1883, two years after Johan August Udden's graduation. Augustana College conferred its first bachelor's degree in 1877, and Udden was the third science graduate from the school in 1881.
"A week after graduation Udden came to Lindsborg as a delegate to the Augustana Synod meeting from West Union, Minnesota. About two weeks after the synodical meeting the summer school for teachers opened in McPherson and Udden enrolled as a student with the hope of getting a winter teaching position. Before the four weeks of school were over, he received offers to take charge of the parochial school west of Lindsborg, to start a high school, the Bethany Academy, and to teach in the Kentuck Creek District.
"Udden took the position of instructor in the Bethany Academy. It opened officially October 15, 1881. He taught all courses except Bible and allied subject material, which was taught by Carl Aaron Swensson. The classes were held in the Bethany Church sacristy at the rear of the church building. The sacristy became the practice room for members of the Augustana College Orchestra on their visit to Lindsborg in the spring of 1882, and a number of them had been schoolmates of Udden. This was the time of the first presentation of the "Messiah" in Lindsborg. When the festivities were over, the spring work demanded the presence of the academy students. Only twelve students were present for the last day of school.
"By the summer of 1882, Udden felt his future secure enough to return home to marry Johanna Kristina Davis after an engagement lasting four years. The new school term started October 5, and Udden stated that he was foolish enough to permit his wife to manage the school's eating establishment, which deprived the bride of real home enjoyment, but there was no complaint about the food. The dining hall and bedrooms were in the old Lindgren Hotel, the classrooms were in the Velin Blacksmith shop and Old Schoolhouse, which was newly renovated and later known as the Bethany Academy Building.
Spanish Chain Mail
Source: Liveauctionees.com / Bing.com
"Neither Dr. Nelander nor Mr. Norman wanted to teach physical geology, zoology and botany during the early academy years, and that became Udden's responsibility. During the early years of the academy, Udden also taught other courses not in the science area. He became acquainted with Kansas flora and fortunately he could obtain help from Dr. Rundstrom, who had studied botany Lund, [Sweden]. Some of Udden's field trips were made with Dr. Rundström's participation. After reading professors Mudge's "Geology of Kansas" he noticed much of the material described in the book while on his botanical field trips. One time when he decided to take a month's vacation, he used the time to study the soils between Lindsborg and Junction City. This trip became an eye opener for him, and he came home determined that geology would be his future career. He studied formations in Rice and Ellsworth Districts. He was the first person in this area to find and recognize the widespread volcanic ash on the western prairies. He studied the Indian mounds near Lindsborg for a number of years. One of the prized collections of the time was the discovery of a piece of partly weathered Spanish Mail, which was no doubt armor lost by one of Coronado's men. The piece was photographed but was soon lost. It was rediscovered in 1989 in the Kansas State Historical Collection at Topeka. The question is who obtained it and how did it finally end up in Topeka? Udden was the first curator of the Bethany Museum.
Spanish Chain Mail
found by
Dr. Udden in McPherson
part of
Bethany College Museum Natural History Collection
for a time
found by
Dr. Udden in McPherson
part of
Bethany College Museum Natural History Collection
for a time
Source: 1909/1965 "Pioneer Swedish American Culture in Central Kansas," PLATE I: Spanish Chain Mail found by Udden
"During his early years at Bethany, Udden and his wife lived in rooms until they could build a house on a northeast lot from the Bethany Lutheran Church. Their first child, a girl, was still born in June 1883, and was buried in Lindsborg.
Their second child, Antonia Thelda, was born May 10, 1884, and she was reported to have died on July 22, 1885, from paralysis brought on by teething. Jon Andreass was born early in the morning on May 19, 1885, in the house they had built. Anton David was born in the late evening of December 28, 1886, and Svante Mauritz, the youngest son and only child born after the family left Lindsborg was born on June 16, 1892.
"During 1883 Udden became the editor of the Kansas Posten, a Swedish newspaper published in Lindsborg, and in 1888 he became editor of the Lindsborg News for a few months before returning to Augustana College. He was busy as a teacher and still found time for important field work. It was in Kansas that he made excavations that resulted in his later publication, An Old Indian Village.
"In the spring of 1886, Udden took a leave of absence from Bethany to do graduate work in chemistry and zoology at the University of Minnesota. With this work he completed his formal education and returned to Bethany, where he remained until the summer of 1888. J. E. Welin, who later became a science professor at Bethany, was one of Udden's students.
"Udden knew German and Swedish fairly well, with some ability to handle French and Spanish. He was reportedly able to lecture in German, and he wrote scientific articles in Swedish. He was considered to be an excellent instructor in the classroom and on field trips.
"Dr. Udden held memberships in a number of scientific societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Geological Society of America, Society of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Sigma XI Research Society, Illinois, Iowa, Oklahoma and Texas Academies of Science. In recognition for his distinguished service in science, he was decorated by the King of Sweden, in 1911, with the Swedish Order of the North Star. He received honorary degrees as follows: Doctor of Philosophy, Augustana College, 1900; Doctor of Science, Bethany College, 1921, and Texas Christian University, 1923; and Doctor of Laws, Augustana College, 1929.
"He was marked as a prophet of geological accomplishments. The thoroughness with which his work was done, his native curiosity and minute care which amounted to genius, impressed all of his associates. He was original to an unusual degree. He had no opportunity for specialization in his student days, and he to a large extent trained himself.
"Dr. Udden made his first visit to Texas in 1890, and his permanent connection with the University of Texas began in 1911. This continued until his death on January 5, 1932. In 1916 he made studies on land belonging to the University of Texas [UT], and reported where oil and gas could likely be found. Drilling near this location brought in oil production which resulted in additions to the University Permanent Fund in excess of three hundred million dollars [$300,000,000] and more to come as the university had not sold any part of this vast acreage. In other words, he made the University of Texas wealthy. His greatest work of economic importance for the State of Texas concerned three of its most valuable mineral resources--quicksilver, oil and potash.
"Dr. Udden was a lifelong devout Christian and faithful member of the Lutheran Church. During the latter part of his life he was a member of the Swedish Lutheran Church located at Congress Avenue and 16th Street in Austin. His wife survived him by only five months, having died on June 5, 1932.
"In 1938 on the occasion of the celebration at the University Gregory Gymnasium of the one hundredth [100th] anniversary of the arrival in Texas of the first pioneer from Sweden, the Texas Swedish Pioneer Association dedicated a bronze plaque to the memory of Dr. Udden. This plaque was placed in the University Geology Building"
"During his early years at Bethany, Udden and his wife lived in rooms until they could build a house on a northeast lot from the Bethany Lutheran Church. Their first child, a girl, was still born in June 1883, and was buried in Lindsborg.
Their second child, Antonia Thelda, was born May 10, 1884, and she was reported to have died on July 22, 1885, from paralysis brought on by teething. Jon Andreass was born early in the morning on May 19, 1885, in the house they had built. Anton David was born in the late evening of December 28, 1886, and Svante Mauritz, the youngest son and only child born after the family left Lindsborg was born on June 16, 1892.
"During 1883 Udden became the editor of the Kansas Posten, a Swedish newspaper published in Lindsborg, and in 1888 he became editor of the Lindsborg News for a few months before returning to Augustana College. He was busy as a teacher and still found time for important field work. It was in Kansas that he made excavations that resulted in his later publication, An Old Indian Village.
"In the spring of 1886, Udden took a leave of absence from Bethany to do graduate work in chemistry and zoology at the University of Minnesota. With this work he completed his formal education and returned to Bethany, where he remained until the summer of 1888. J. E. Welin, who later became a science professor at Bethany, was one of Udden's students.
"Udden knew German and Swedish fairly well, with some ability to handle French and Spanish. He was reportedly able to lecture in German, and he wrote scientific articles in Swedish. He was considered to be an excellent instructor in the classroom and on field trips.
"Dr. Udden held memberships in a number of scientific societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Geological Society of America, Society of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Sigma XI Research Society, Illinois, Iowa, Oklahoma and Texas Academies of Science. In recognition for his distinguished service in science, he was decorated by the King of Sweden, in 1911, with the Swedish Order of the North Star. He received honorary degrees as follows: Doctor of Philosophy, Augustana College, 1900; Doctor of Science, Bethany College, 1921, and Texas Christian University, 1923; and Doctor of Laws, Augustana College, 1929.
"He was marked as a prophet of geological accomplishments. The thoroughness with which his work was done, his native curiosity and minute care which amounted to genius, impressed all of his associates. He was original to an unusual degree. He had no opportunity for specialization in his student days, and he to a large extent trained himself.
"Dr. Udden made his first visit to Texas in 1890, and his permanent connection with the University of Texas began in 1911. This continued until his death on January 5, 1932. In 1916 he made studies on land belonging to the University of Texas [UT], and reported where oil and gas could likely be found. Drilling near this location brought in oil production which resulted in additions to the University Permanent Fund in excess of three hundred million dollars [$300,000,000] and more to come as the university had not sold any part of this vast acreage. In other words, he made the University of Texas wealthy. His greatest work of economic importance for the State of Texas concerned three of its most valuable mineral resources--quicksilver, oil and potash.
"Dr. Udden was a lifelong devout Christian and faithful member of the Lutheran Church. During the latter part of his life he was a member of the Swedish Lutheran Church located at Congress Avenue and 16th Street in Austin. His wife survived him by only five months, having died on June 5, 1932.
"In 1938 on the occasion of the celebration at the University Gregory Gymnasium of the one hundredth [100th] anniversary of the arrival in Texas of the first pioneer from Sweden, the Texas Swedish Pioneer Association dedicated a bronze plaque to the memory of Dr. Udden. This plaque was placed in the University Geology Building"
Academy Building
"First Bethany College Building"
where
Dr. Udden taught
Billdt and Jaderborg "The Smoky Valley in the After Years" 1919/1969
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